October 05, 2008

I have no catchy title...

I go through phases with my picture taking. Some weeks I take hundreds of pictures, others, I just don't seem to pick my camera up. The past few weeks I have not taken many. Now that I have put myself out there as a "real photographer" to family and friends, the pressure is on to take great pictures all the time. If I am just trying to capture the kids and get nothing that wows me, I think maybe I am not good enough and am crazy to call myself a photographer. I need to remember that the only way I am going to get better is to just keep snapping away. I brought my camera on an afternoon walk yesterday and am pleased with a few of the pictures I got. Yesterday I explained to Eli and Zoe that I wanted to make money taking pictures for other people. I told them that if they wanted to continue to get birthday and Christmas presents, they had to let me practice my picture taking skills on them so I could get better. It worked for a few minutes. I love this picture of them hugging and need to dig through my boxes of pictures from the past two years because I know I have a very similar one from a few years ago. Yes..two years of pictures, probably almost 2000 that need to be put in albums..just thinking about it overwhelms me. I need to do it though. This morning we sat and looked through photo albums from 3 years ago and the kids love doing that. It's just not the same as looking at them in boxes or on the computer.

Eli looks so charming and innocent in this picture. If only that was the case. Him and I are having a rough time lately. He is clearly going through a big adjustment with 1st grade and has an attitude that makes me understand why people send their kids to boarding school. I'm kidding, of course I would never send him to boarding school, but right now I really don't know what to do with him. Rather than list all the bad things, I'll focus on the good. I love watching his brain develop as he learns so many new things. His ability to read is amazing, he spells words, does math, writes real sentences. It is pretty neat to watch him learn all these new things. And Ari..my sweet baby Ari. He is starting to look and act more grown up every day. He says two very clear words, and they are the same as Eli's first words. Da for Dog, or anything small and furry and Baaall for ball. Anything round is a ball and the way he says it is so adorable. He looked like such a big boy in one of Eli's old sweatshirts but I loved this picture because it still shows the baby features that will slowly go away and not be as noticeable. The chubby cheeks, perfect skin, long eyelashes, cute little lips..so perfect.Ari LOVES climbing up our stairs and is so proud of himself with every step. Yesterday he was so cute as he turned around to make sure we saw him doing it. When he got the top he looked over to see what he had accomplished..so proud.

That face..sometimes I wonder how we could have created something so perfect. I am still trying to figure out though how we ended up with a little blondy. I have started to tell everyone to have a third baby. I am not going to say it is easy, but there is something so special about that third one.

6 Comments

first, really beautiful photos Michelle. you captured some very special moments in their childhood and your children are absolutely adorable. second, i completely get it. i don't know why we expect perfection with every snap and when it doesn't happen the camera gets grounded lol. i think it just needs to become a habit (i'm talking to myself here!). kinda like other things we have to do every day (i wonder if that's why Rick's was in that room?!).

p.s. i was just looking at the photos again and how nice each and every one of them are. in one afternoon you were able to capture images you would pay any other photographer for. i so wish you had been here to capture my family's special moments.

Great pictures! and no, I just don't say that to everybody! I love the one of Eli alone (blue eyes!) and b/w of Ari and of course the Ari climbing sequence...so darn cute! I have to say though, my favorite to make me laugh at loud at this late hour in the evening was the one of Todd on Zoe's bike and your comment about how it would be
perfect if it had beer bottles in the basket. I bet Colette could make than happen! Priceless...

Just found your blog and have only made it through two posts and just had to stop and tell you I'm hooked. You are such a talented photographer and your passion for your children is readily evident. I can't wait to read more of your blog